I put my mother in time out last week the way you would put a toddler in time out when they take a temper tantrum, was that wrong of me? My mom is 86 yrs old with MILD Parkinson's and MILD dementia, she gets along just fine but sometimes she becomes very demanding with getting herself dressed and undressed. She was in her bedroom demanding that either I or her home aid undress her and put on her night clothes. She dresses and undresses herself everyday. So to stop the fighting I closed her bedroom door and let her be. 15 minutes later i went to check on her, she had changed into her night clothes and put the clothes she was wearing away.
Today she did the same thing but only in the bathroom. So I put her night clothes in the bathroom and left. If for one moment I thought she couldn't do it for herself I'd help her, but she is very capable of doing things for herself. She lives on her own, so there are things that she HAS to do for herself in order to get by. Her home aid cooks all 3 meals for her, helps her with showers, does her laundry and mops her floors. We make her do the dusting as part of keeping her active and moving. But when she starts to get in her demanding "I CAN'T DO ANYTHING" mood she becomes impossible to deal with. I believe in tough love only because I know if I cave and do more for her then she will waste away that much faster. I can't accept that this is as good as it gets because she was in good health right up till the day she retired from her job when she was 79 yrs old. She has become lazy and wants everyone to take care of her. So if she's going to act out like a 2 year old having a temper tantrum then she will be dealt with accordingly.
I think it is good that you are encouraging her to remain active -- that is extremely important for this kind of dementia. And leaving her alone to work through her own frustrations seems to be working. For your sake, it might be less stressful to learn more about your mother's disease.
Best wishes to you both.
Many people here can relate to what you are going through. You are not alone!